Lost a 6 year old hen
2 days ago during the day Roxanna noticed some feathers in the garden. When checking most were tail feathers. That evening when going through the birds I noticed that I was a 6 year old hen missing. It is a shame as this hen had flown over 340 miles on both the South and North routes. Also she was one of the first ones I bred when restarting in the sport and the only one that had all 4 of my original stock pigeons from Louella in her pedigree. Obviously she has been taken by the sparrow hawk. Just a bit surprising though that all I found were a few feathers and mainly tail ones. She was a big hen so would be a bit surprised if the hawk could have flown off with her.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
That's a shame Andy, sorry to hear that bruvAndy wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:28 pm 2 days ago during the day Roxanna noticed some feathers in the garden. When checking most were tail feathers. That evening when going through the birds I noticed that I was a 6 year old hen missing. It is a shame as this hen had flown over 340 miles on both the South and North routes. Also she was one of the first ones I bred when restarting in the sport and the only one that had all 4 of my original stock pigeons from Louella in her pedigree. Obviously she has been taken by the sparrow hawk. Just a bit surprising though that all I found were a few feathers and mainly tail ones. She was a big hen so would be a bit surprised if the hawk could have flown off with her.
that is the strange thing with the birds I lose, I never find more than a few feathers in the garden and sometimes I don't even find them 
I know it's the Sparrow hawk as I see them around here often enough and have evidence on those that have got away and made it home. I'm sure some of mine are brought down in the fields behind me, of course you also have the Goshawks to contend with now !!! They are now spreading out from the Newforest as their numbers have grown and they are looking for new territories, they have apparently been seen in Rustington just down the road from me !! I've not seen a Perrigrinne around hear yet although I know they are on the cement works at Shoreham and on the Cathedral in Chichester.
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DarkPiedCock
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Sad lost Andy. 
Living in Brighton & Sunny Sussex.
I've still got a couple of your originals here Andy, 3 of your originals anyway and one of our Dads !! I've got a bit of their blood running through the loft, I've got a nice youngster from Geezer paired to Shirley this year that looks like making a decent bird. One of my Perth birds is down from the Faroes lines crossed in with Des Coulter and Ian Crammond stock.